It was an afternoon to forget for Liverpool on Sunday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield.

The result further dented our Premier League title hopes with us now sitting in third place – behind Arsenal on goal difference and two points adrift of league leaders Manchester City.

Despite missing a number of clear cut chances in the second half Jurgen Klopp’s side never really got going and Eberechi Eze’s early strike earned the visitors all three points on Merseyside.

Liverpool were miles off their opponents during the early stages of the game but it’s Ibou Konate who’s been singled out by Tim Sherwood for the role he played moments before Palace’s goal.

“It’s interesting to look at Konate, there, he just doesn’t move, he gets stuck there, he’s like Madame Tussauds, I just couldn’t believe it, it’s a bad position he’s picked up,” Sherwood said on Premier League Productions (via The Boot Room).

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As on Thursday during our 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League, not many Liverpool players were at their best against Palace.

There was a lack of intensity to our play, our decision making was poor and we simply weren’t clinical in front of goal.

No offence intended to Oliver Glasner’s side, but we can’t afford to be dropping points to a bottom half side if we’re wanting to win the title.

Konate wasn’t the only player to not cover himself in glory during the early stages as we were far too passive and allowed Palace too much time on the ball all over the park.

We need to improve again rapidly if we’re to have any chance of winning our second title under Klopp.

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The Liverpool squad has every reason to be upset after a tough draw with Manchester United but in Ibou Konate and Cody Gakpo, it seems spirits are still high.

Thanks to the ‘Inside Training’ series on LFCTV Go, footage of the players has been shared and the duo clearly have a lot of love for each other.

READ MORE: (Video) Classic Robbo; Liverpool fans will crease at Mac Allister and Robertson training interaction

As we look ahead to a Europa League fixture at Anfield, this could be the perfect opportunity to put aside the stress of chasing down a Premier League title.

Let’s just hope for a relatively stress free performance, with similar scenes like this being seen after the full-time whistle.

You can view the footage of Konate and Gakpo courtesy of LFCTV Go (via @drwnunez on X):

ibou and gakpo pic.twitter.com/Dn5RKaS72B

— hae (@drwnunez) April 9, 2024

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It’s been a season marred by injuries for Liverpool but also one where our squad and academy players have stood up to every test sent their way, with Jurgen Klopp forced to deliver yet another update.

Speaking with the press before facing Manchester United in the FA Cup, our boss said: “Ibou didn’t train today, we have to see if he can train tomorrow but it will be a tight, tight race which we will probably lose, but we don’t know.

“Bobby felt much better. That was uncomfortable, he got a knock there, a little swelling and that’s why [we had] the feeling that it might be something more serious but it’s not, so he’s fine.

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp gushes over ‘absolutely exceptional’ 26-y/o who ‘deserves’ accolade

“Ryan trained today again, so he’s ready. And the others, some of the others, [will return] after the international break.”

Before adding on Curtis Jones: “Curtis [Jones], and I think the other two, Diogo [Jota] and Trent [Alexander-Arnold], for the week after. A chance.”

And then on Stefan Bajcetic: “Stefan is pretty much now in his pre-season to make him physically ready,” he said.

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“So, in the moment he feels something, it’s not an injury, it’s intensity. He’s a young lad so we just have to make sure that we don’t use him before he is really ready because what happened before was that the body was not 100 per cent ready for the intensity that professional football is asking for.

“He is much better, he is in a much better place now. He had a long time, unfortunately, to improve that but that’s where we now have to wait a little bit.

“But he is in his pre-season and I think he will be part of team training as well after the international break.”

READ MORE: Liverpool to face Atalanta in Europa quarter-finals; Anfield leg first with possible Leverkusen final looming

It was a comprehensive update from the boss, although the like of Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip were not addressed, illustrating just how extensive our injury problems are.

It looks like the end of the international break will bring with it the birth of a new squad at Anfield and let’s hope that we’re still in a strong position in all three competitions by time they all return.

You can watch Klopp’s injury updates (from 3:05) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Liverpool fans will be aware that, as long as our issues don’t increase in the next couple of games, our injured players should start returning at the end of the international break.

Some of these stricken men have been spotted training away from the first-team, as their return to action seemingly edges closer.

READ MORE: (Video) Luis Diaz’s mesmerising run that had Walker and Rodri in knots, in its full glory

Footage on Sky Sports confirmed that both Ibou Konate and Stefan Bajcetic are on the grass, though it was confirmed the midfielder still seems some way off a full return.

This could mean that we see our No.5 involved in the squad against Manchester United in the FA Cup but certainly no assurances on this yet.

You can watch the report on Konate and Bajcetic via @SkyFootball on X:

An update from the Liverpool training ground ahead of their Europa League clash against Sparta Prague on Thursday pic.twitter.com/SysvqPDbXi

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 12, 2024

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Ibou Konate made a big impact during the second half against Southampton but one moment in the first half will tug at the heartstrings of Liverpool fans.

A balloon flew onto the pitch whilst the Frenchman was warming up and he quickly ran onto the turf to retrieve it.

READ MORE: (Video) Danns admits he could see the headlines after he and Koumas scored at Anfield

The 24-year-old then passed it to a young fan in the crowd, which was a lovely touch from the defender.

You can watch Konate’s interaction with the fan via @livelyackles on X:

ibrahima konate returning a balloon to a fan.. actual sweetheart pic.twitter.com/ukev3wPCSJ

— Natalie ❁ (@livelyackles) February 28, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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It was a special day at Wembley as Liverpool clinched the Carabao Cup and it wasn’t just Jurgen Klopp who was performing his trademark fist pumps but his players too.

Thanks to the ‘Inside’ series on the club’s YouTube account, we can see both Ibou Konate and Cody Gakpo doing their own celebrations with the boss.

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans will crease at Robertson’s broken English conversation with Luis Diaz

As fans, we’re all dreading the idea of losing the 56-year-old but the players must be experiencing similar levels of apprehension and so all we can do now is enjoy the ride.

It’s hard to think anyone will ever truly replace the German.

You can watch the video of Klopp, Konate and Gakpo (from 21:02) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Ibou Konate has established himself as the starting centre-back, alongside Virgil van Dijk, and it’s no surprise that our fans love him.

After what felt like a statement victory, the French defender was captured joining in with Liverpool chants at full-time against Brentford.

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It’s only a simple gesture from our No.5 but will go a long way to illustrate how committed he is to the Reds.

Let’s hope that we can see this happen after every game this season, as Jurgen Klopp’s side chase down an unprecedented quadruple.

You can view the video of Konate courtesy of TNT Sports (via @TheRedDebate on X):

Ibou singing along to ‘Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool’ there pic.twitter.com/H3zXwq9FFY

— The Red Debate (@TheRedDebate) February 17, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Ibou Konate received two yellow cards against Arsenal and so missed the game with Burnley through suspension, meaning a trip to Paris followed.

Our No.5 was spotted alongside Ousmane Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani at a Paris Basketball game on Sunday evening.

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The trio would have been happy to see the home side record a 87-65 victory over Saint-Quentin, as they joined the other fans inside Halle Georges Carpentier.

With a week break between the victory over Vincent Kompany’s side and our match with Brentford, it seems all the players have been allowed some time to relax and recover.

You can watch the footage of Konate via @ParisBasketball on X:

Internationaux français jouant pour le @PSG_inside et @LFC, Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani et Ibrahima Konaté sont dans la maison pic.twitter.com/QS6VhocRC7

— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) February 11, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Ibou Konate was part of a Liverpool defence that conceded three goals against Arsenal, as well as receiving a red card during the match.

Gabriel Martinelli got himself a goal on the day too but this doesn’t all necessarily mean that the Frenchman had a bad day.

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A social media account dedicated to our No.5 complied all his best moments and it showed that our 24-year-old did play well.

It won’t come as much solace for the defender or our supporters but it should reassure any fears of a horrifically bad performance.

You can watch the Konate highlights courtesy of Sky Sports (via @KonateFC on X):

The masses will try to nastily gaslight you into thinking the narrative was different due to a nothing run which wasn’t even a take on.

I know what I saw. Konaté handled Martinelli again.
pic.twitter.com/vLUZCOxVEt https://t.co/BRRt5X5YD8

— 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗙𝗖 (@KonateFC) February 5, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Liverpool fell to a rare deserved loss against Arsenal and one moment that certainly didn’t help our chances of success, was losing Ibou Konate late on.

The Frenchman was given two yellow cards that were far from malicious and cameras captured Jurgen Klopp’s reaction to the second.

READ MORE: (Video) Carragher’s two-word instruction to Van Dijk that would have stopped second goal

A simple, ironic thumbs up towards the referee showed clearly that the boss didn’t fully agree with the decision for our No.5 to see red.

Given how soft the first incident was in particular and seeing Gabriel pull Darwin Nunez but not receive his second yellow – the frustration is easy to understand.

You can view Klopp’s reaction to the Konate red card via @SkySportsPL on X:

pic.twitter.com/zSdoHloEQt

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 4, 2024

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Liverpool fans were shook by the news that Jurgen Klopp was leaving the club this summer and it seems clear the players were equally as surprised, especially Ibou Konate.

Asked whether the boss leaving would provide more incentive for the squad, the Frenchman said (via liverpoolfc.com): ‘When he said that [he was leaving], in my mind I was like, ‘In the last four months, I have to give my life for him now.’’

It’s something that all our fans will love to hear as, despite the inevitable heartache that will follow, we all have to try and make a difference before the German departs.

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The players are the ones who will help determine if we claim anywhere from four to zero pieces of silverware this season and if they can use the boss leaving as inspiration – then we’re all for it.

Who knows what the future holds at Anfield, so let’s enjoy every second with the 56-year-old in the hot seat and see where we end the campaign.

Rather than stressing over who is next and how we say goodbye, take each game and each day at a time and make the most of it all.

READ MORE: (Video) Mauricio Pochettino confirms ex-Liverpool transfer target will not travel to Anfield

We will likely never see another like the former Borussia Dortmund man and let’s hope our No.5’s message is shared by all his teammates.

It all starts with the game against Chelsea, in what could be a vital week.

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Liverpool fans will be well aware that we were brilliant against Bournemouth and so seeing Alan Shearer select four Reds in his team of the week will also come as no surprise.

Writing for the Premier League, the Geordie said: ‘Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool) “A solid defensive display and gave nothing away, stopping Bournemouth from scoring for the first time in 11 matches.”

‘Diogo Jota (Liverpool) “Who needs Mohamed Salah when he’s in this form?!! Two clinical finishes and an assist, to cap off an outstanding performance.”

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‘Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) “Two great finishes that highlighted Liverpool’s ruthless attack.”

‘Manager: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) “His half-time changes at Bournemouth made an instant impact.”

It’s nice to see Jurgen Klopp get a mention, as we are almost becoming used to him and his coaching staff changing a game at half-time and helping ensure the players can get over the line with brilliant tactical decisions.

READ MORE: (Video) Curtis Jones ‘hamstring tendon’ injury confirmed by Pep Lijnders

Then we have Darwin Nunez who every supporter was delighted to see bag himself two great goals against the Cherries, something which will no doubt provide his confidence a huge boost for the coming weeks without Mo Salah.

Diogo Jota did what he always does for our side, his performance against Bournemouth just reminded everyone of how much of a cool customer our No.20 is in front of goal and it seems that only now are pundits and opposition fans taking note of what he can do.

In Ibou Konate, we all know how solid he can be too but his fitness concerns are the only thing that stop him being considered as highly as he should be – let’s hope the presence of Jarell Quansah will mean our No.5 can be rotated when needed now.

READ MORE: (Video) Lijnders confirms leader’s injury return after ’13 weeks’ out of action; he’s traveling to Fulham

The main surprise is a lack of a spot for Alexis Mac Allister who was impervious at the Vitality Stadium and his defensive prowess was perhaps as strong as it’s ever been, since his arrival this summer.

In all though, we can’t argue when four of our lads make the cut and long may this continue – as it means we’re still playing to our table-topping best!

EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment

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Conor Bradley was given the unenviable task of filling in for Trent Alexander-Arnold whilst he’s been injured but he really couldn’t have done much better in his chances so far.

As Ibou Konate slid in to stop Dominic Solanke from being able to have a shot on goal against Bournemouth, the Northern Irishman clearly loved it.

READ MORE: (Video) Justin Kluivert’s baffling reaction to nearly breaking Diaz’s leg will infuriate Liverpool fans

With two hands in the air, the 20-year-old celebrated a tackle as much as a goal – which shows how committed he is to helping the Reds win.

This also shows the togetherness within Jurgen Klopp’s dressing room, as everyone is working for the same goal.

You can view Bradley’s reaction to the Konate tackle courtesy of Fox Sports (via @DONTLIKE on X):

pic.twitter.com/aMeLL4l4Si

— . (@DONTLlKE) January 21, 2024

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Glen Murray was seriously impressed with the performance of two Liverpool players in particular against Bournemouth this evening.

The Reds ran out as 4-0 winners at the Vitality Stadium thanks to braces from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Alexis Mac Allister and Conor Bradley also performed superbly as Jurgen Klopp’s side went five points clear at the top of the Premier League but it’s our central defenders who were singled out by former Brighton forward Murray.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibou Konate were rock solid at the back and their performance helped the Merseysiders to a tenth clean sheet of the season (across all competitions).

“Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk have been outstanding in the centre of that Liverpool defence,” Murray told BBC Sport (via The Boot Room).

READ MORE: ‘Lucky boy’ – Carragher believes Bournemouth man was fortunate to stay on the field against Liverpool

Van Dijk has looked back to his brilliant best this term after being handed the armband in the summer while our No. 5 has been just as reliable.

The pair are forming a formidable partnership and the hope is that they can remain fit for the remainder of the campaign as we seek to continue fighting on all four fronts.

The injury sustained to Joel Matip at the beginning of December was a huge blow but Konate is proving that he can perform consistently at a high level.

In reserve, meanwhile, we have Jarell Quansah who has impressed whenever called upon by Klopp this term.

He will be learning a lot from the senior defenders at the club and that will set him in good stead for the future.

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It’s been a rather quiet January transfer window for many clubs but Ally McCoist has outlined who he thinks Liverpool should be signing in the next couple of weeks.

The Scot said: “I think a natural partner for Van Dijk at centre back, I mean Matip and Konate were in there, Gomez has played there.

“But they’ve never really had a solid, solid defensive partnership at centre back.”

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It seems strange to say that Joe Gomez, who was a key part of the defence that won the Premier League, Joel Matip, the same for the Champions League, and Ibou Konate, one of the most promising centre backs in world football, are not ‘solid’ partners for Virgil van Dijk.

We could use some more reliability as the above options are all prone to an injury but in terms of talent – there’s nothing wrong with the men that Jurgen Klopp can call upon at present (including Jarell Quansah).

You can view McCoist’s comments on Liverpool (from 25:01) via talkSPORT on YouTube:

Anfield Annals: Tom Wyllie – Liverpool’s first ever player and derby scorer

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